Could this be the cause of my heart Murmur?

Hi, well I am 15 and I have just been diagnosed with a heart murmur. I never had this before. I have been getting shortness of breath and sometimes very dizzy. I started to notice around May of 2007 that this was happening, just the shortness of breath not the dizziness. The dizziness is new. Around this time I also started to gain weight. I went from around 120 to 130 to 140 and now I am 150. I am only 5'4". My doctor took notice and made a comment about it. I am suppose to have 3 tests done. But could my sudden gain of weight be the cause of my heart murmur? I mean in July I was only 130 and now I am around 151 or 152. So could this be the problem? Thanks!

Hi, sorry I don't know what kind.

I'm not a Dr., but have a heart murmur. Most likely you were born with the heart murmur, or possibly got it from an undiagnosed illness, like rheumatic fever. (Have you ever had a strep throat?) Most heart murmurs are not serious and many get better over time. Your weight gain might be intensifying the effects of the murmur - but did not cause it.
I suspect you'll be fine after all tests are completed :)

yes asbsolutley, if your heart valve is bad enuff it could send you into heart failure and cause shortness of breath and rapid weight gain. do you have edema(swelling in your feet, ankle or legs) see dr soon

Check out this website for causes and solutions. Weight can be an issue but I would question if the valve wasn't already weak or already had a problem and the weight brought the problem to light. Personally, I would go to a cardiologist and have them check everything and make sure.

The weight is definitely not a good thing and you need to get it off through diet for now but many people have gained weight (and much more than you have) and never had a problem like this. You might talk with your mother about going to Weight Watchers together so you can get on a healthy diet and learn how to control your weight. You will have to have an adult to go with you since you are under 18 and it's always easier to lose if you have someone working with you on something like this.

Also, be careful what medications you take. Decongestants and other meds could cause more problems with the heart and your blood pressure so always talk with your doctor before taking anything.

Good luck dear. Sure hope it all works out ok for you.

It really isn't the weight gain that is caused by the heart murmur, it's more the stress on your body from the other symtoms. Stress causes a lot of people to gain weight.

It's more likely that the murmur caused the weight gain. Make sure to follow up with your doctor because if your murmur is severe enough to be causing these symptoms (weight gain, dizziness, shortness of breath..) it may require treatment. Good luck!

just out of curiosity, do you know what kind of murmur you have?